As a fantasy world, Warhammer must of course also harbor dwarves. Unlike many other settings, there are even dwarves in Warhammer in the futuristic 41st millennium – and even evil brothers of the stubborn, but mostly rather “good” master blacksmiths. MeinMMO presents three types of dwarves from Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000.
Dwarfs are among the oldest and most popular fantasy races of all time. Originally, they come from Norse mythology and since Tolkien and his Lord of the Rings, they have been a favorite of many fantasy fans.
There is even a dedicated category for dwarf games on Steam. The often depicted small and stocky people fascinates many. Craftsmen, warriors, traditionalists – dwarves are often portrayed this way, and above all: stubborn. This is also true in Warhammer.
The world of Warhammer knows many types of dwarves, spread across the three different settings of Warhammer and they all have special traits that make them unique, even if many of them resort to forbidden knowledge…
For the nerds among you: Yes, there are significantly more subtypes of dwarves in Warhammer and certainly one can debate the categorization. I have chosen the three types of dwarves based on their differences, which I believe are most pronounced in this list.
Dawi, the stubborn beard-grumblers of the fantasy world
Dawi are the standard fantasy dwarves from the original Warhammer Fantasy and today known as The Old World. What you might stereotypically believe about the people is quite accurate regarding the Warhammer dwarves.
They live in huge cities underground, are excellent blacksmiths and engineers, specialists in siege engines and armor, and have exceptionally strong, though slow fighters.
Dwarves cannot cast spells, but they can use the power of magical runes. They have their own gods, their ancestors, who can even be deified during their lifetimes – and correspondingly a strong sense of tradition. Those who break with traditions or harm their own honor seek forgiveness in the “Slayer Oath,” in which they throw themselves recklessly into battle, without armor and regard for losses.
What makes the Warhammer dwarves particularly unique is their pronounced stubbornness. They constantly harbor grudges against everything and everyone. They even keep records of this:
- Your ancestors fought a war against dwarves 2,000 years ago? Entry in the grudge book.
- Entered dwarf land without invitation? Entry in the grudge book.
- You don’t find your neighbor’s beard attractive? Believe it or not, but: Entry in the grudge book.
The majority of dwarves are the Karak Dawi, who continue to live in their ancient cities. Dwarfs living in the human Empire (not the Empire of Warhammer 40,000!) are called Imperial Dwarfs. The clans from the north, who sometimes trade and fight with the wild human tribes, are the Norsca Dwarfs.
After the end of the world in Warhammer Fantasy, there are still dwarves: in the realms of mortals, the world of Age of Sigmar, the surviving dwarves have renamed themselves to “Duardin”. The setting itself is becoming increasingly popular: Age of Sigmar was long considered the least popular Warhammer, now it excites fans: “High fantasy meets heavy metal”
